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How long do you pump for at setting?

Hi Lady's! First time here and so confused about pumping! i have a 4 month old I EBF. I have read that you pump until there is no milk left. I pumped for 30 min. today got 4.5 ounces from each breast and I still had milk supply. My little one is eating 4-6 ounces at a sitting 6 times a day and still seems hungry, his tongue is out and he is looking for more. My pumping schedule is I pump both breast in the morning before work ( 4-5 ounces each breast) and then at lunch with an output of 3-5 ounces from each. When I get home I BF from each breast once before bed. He sleeps 10 to 12 hours with no feedings. each time I pump for 30 min. So my question is how long do you pump for and how much is enough? I worry about running out of milk

Re: How long do you pump for at setting?

You get way more than i do. I get 3-5oz TOTAL from both, and my son takes 3-4 3.5oz bottles in a full day. He eats at night though, at least once if not twice. I think you are pumping plenty, try to get the DCP to prolong the feeding if they can.

Re: How long do you pump for at setting?

Well, first of all, your milk supply sounds great. If anything, you need to be worried about going into oversupply territory by pumping too much.

Second, just a thought - most breastfed babies will eat more from a bottle than from the breast, which can easily result in caretakers overfeeding them a bit. They should take 1-1.5 oz per hour. If they're taking substantially more than that, you should ask the caretaker to give smaller servings, to try other ways of dealing with fussiness. Just like us, they can eat so fast that it takes a while to "register" with them that they're no longer hungry. When I hear of someone with great pumping output struggling to "keep up" with their baby, this is my first thought!

I usually took 25-30 minutes to pump as well, massaging my breasts the whole time and hoping for a second letdown. But I did this routine a bit less frequently than a lot of moms pump - so instead of pumping for 20 minutes every 2-3 hours, I pumped for 30 every 3-4 hours. This won't work for everyone, but it seems to be a good thing for moms who are struggling with OVERsupply. (If your supply is more normal, it may not be enough, so be careful!)

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.

Re: How long do you pump for at setting?

I pumped for 15 minutes because that's what my lactation consultant told me to do, sometimes I'd rest for 12 minutes and then pump again (I'd do that 3 times in an hr but I had low supply). I only ever would get 2-3 oz total but every woman's capacity for holding milk in her breasts at one time is different. Mine just don't hold much milk at one time so I had to nurse or pump often.

Re: How long do you pump for at setting?

Oversupply can mean you are uncomfortable and have problems with plugs or even mastitis. It is often accompanied by over active letdown, which may bug your baby. Some moms have so much milk that the baby fills up on the early, less-fatty milk and are cranky, gassy and may not grow as well as they could. Does that make sense?

So, while it seems like an OS would be great, it really can have some problems accompany it.

Re: How long do you pump for at setting?

Unlike your baby, who takes as much milk as he needs and then stops, signalling your body that that's the right amount of milk to make for him, the pump can convince your body that you are feeding very hungry twins! And then you may find yourself with a fussy baby and really full and uncomfortable breasts if you try to go back to feeding on demand.

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.

Re: How long do you pump for at setting?

I always pumped for 30 min at a time and I was pretty dry afterward. While I think I pumped longer than I had to, I think that the extra time was a big part of why I was able to pump for 12 months without my output reducing at all during that time.

Hi, I'm Seph! DD born - 5/12/09 5lbs 15oz, and now she's 27 lbs! weaned with love at 19 months. DS born - 10/12/11 8 lbs 1 oz, over 19 pounds now at 8.5 months and still nursing like a champ!
I survived 3 solid months of a 10 food elimination diet and 22 months of a limited diet between my 2 children. I don't even remember what a peanut is. for 21 months!
6 time conqueror of mastitis! (2 times without abx!)
Have milk, will fly!

Re: How long do you pump for at setting?

Originally Posted by @llli*mskalinin

You get way more than i do. I get 3-5oz TOTAL from both, and my son takes 3-4 3.5oz bottles in a full day. He eats at night though, at least once if not twice. I think you are pumping plenty, try to get the DCP to prolong the feeding if they can.

Same here..I get 3-5 oz TOTAL when I pump!! You are doing good!!!

The love of my life, Rogelio Federico aka Tre, was born on 22 July 2011. Active Duty Army Mom thats hates , but loves : and